Hudson and Ella are so sweet and yet so perfect together, their chemistry is so undeniable.
This is Ki Stephens at her best <3

Ella is an exchange cheer student from the UK and Hudson is an American football at her new university. I think I need to admit that it’s time for me to stop reading university setting romances as there just aren’t for me where I can’t relate to the characters most of the time which makes it harder for me to connect with the story. However, I would definitely recommend this one for those who like the low stakes of a university setting and are also fans of sport romances.

When it comes to the romance, it started with a one night stand (and we all know it’s never just a one night stand), and the chemistry and tension between the two of them was amazing. However, there was a lot of late drama, though sort of fitting for their ages, but isn’t something I enjoy and Ella’s reaction was a bit over the top for the situation.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the eARC.

she move from the uk to the usa.
on her first she has a one night stand with someone whos off limit from her cheer squad.

do they want to resist the attraction? yep
esepcially cause hes the quterback.

but ....

I had to dnf after 3 tries to get back into it. I found the characters so irritable and childish that I had no time for the redeeming part if it ever happens. Lovely cover and great premise but maybe I wasn’t the right audience for it.
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me! through sourdough is main character energy!
I enjoyed the writing style and the premises of the book, however i didn't vibe with the main characters and felt it just moved at a slow pace and found myself not reaching for the book.

a fun and entertaining college sports romance, this was a fast paced cute fun time. loved that the sport was cheerleading.

Game on by Ki Stephens📣🏈

*arc*

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this!! I’m such a sucker for a sports romance and Game On really hit the spot for me🤩 it’s cute and easy to read and I ate it up!! Ki Stephens did an incredible job of building up the characters and I absolutely adored Ella and Hudson along with so many of the ‘side’ characters- Gabi, Levi, Sammy🥰 plus, it’s dual POV so obviously I was immediately hooked🥳
As well as being a fun, quick, easy read sports romance, Game On also did a brilliant job of touching on some more difficult topics, particularly around the difficulties of family relationships.
I honestly adored every moment and can’t recommend enough!

Released 14th August✨

DNF at 33%

Multiple time jumps in this first portion of the book completely messed with the flow of the writing. I could not build a connection with the MC's because they had no backstory other than their (rushed through) one night stand. They were boring and I found Ella in particular to be extremely irritating.

I wanted to love this book but I just couldn't.

Game On by Ki Stephens was a perfectly fine read - if a little boring.

The issue for me is that the characters didn't feel lived in. Both Hudson and Ella trail through the book bored, like no qualms affect them. With Ella moving from the UK to the US, you'd think the cultural differences would be more pronounced, but if anything, it's like Ella hasn't even gone to the next town over.

There is also a one night stand at the beginning. It just seemed so totally off - hey, I don't mind the angst that I thought it'd entail - but it just seemed so out of place for Hudson and Ella. It comes out of nowhere, and I think the lack of attention to chemistry played some part; that and the loose main characters who had little identity outside of their "cheerleading" and being the "star quarterback". They weren't really ones to root for.

But I'm not going to lie, the name Sourdough for a cat is very cute.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I really liked the plot for this book, and it was done really well. The chemistry between the main characters was evident from the start, and I loved the friendships that Ella managed to make in America. I really liked how Hudson was always there for her, even if she was unsure of their relationship. I do wish that she had more contact with her friends from home, and that she spent more time being fully single so she could process the relationship that ended. I also wish that we got more of an insight into Ella adjusting to life in America, she seemed to adjust so easily. I also wish that the epilogue would have showed more about what happend next. Overall, this was a really cute, easy read and I did really enjoy reading it!
This book comes out on 14th August in the UK and commonwealth, and the 9th September for the US and Canada 💗

Okay, so this was a cute enough book I just feel like it wasn’t particularly memorable, everything was just…fine. I finished it but it didn’t keep me hooked!

This is a fun take on a sports romance for fans of Bring it On! In Game On, both the leads are athletes, and she's also a study abroad student from the UK, which makes for something a bit different. I loved that both the main characters were unapologetic about being ambitious and it was fun seeing the hard work and prep pay off. On the romance side of things, however, this one left me a little cold. I found it quite hard to root for Ella in particular, finding her overly petulant and self-absorbed on more than one occasion. And overall, their chemistry felt a little forced, possibly because it felt that there was a general lack of emotional depth (or at least, the main emotional beats seemed a little bizarrely to be happening off-page). It's a weird disconnect that might have been an intentional reflection of the characters' decision to keep each other at arms length, but - whether intentional or not - the result was me, as a reader, feeling like I wasn't ever really privy to their inner lives or able to engage with them. The HEA, when it did come, felt a little jarring because they'd spent most of the time pulling back, and we never really get to see the change of heart play out; it just seems to have already happened by the time they're expressing their emotions (tell, not show, basically). Similarly, I found myself wanting to know more about the side characters, but most of the interactions with the leads were brief and/or surface level. Frustrating.

Despite all this, I found the author's writing style assured and there was enough interest to carry me through. If I was left scratching my head a little, then maybe someone else might not have the same issues I did, in which case this would probably score far higher! Definitely worth checking out if you're in the market for something a bit different to the usual sports romance.

DNF @ 28%

unfortunately, I gave this book a chance but within the first 28% I’m wasn’t hooked or gripped into the story. I struggled to connect with the main characters on any level.

This is everything I crave in a good romance—witty banter, slow-burn tension, emotional depth, and just the right amount of spice to keep the pages turning. From the very first chapter, I was hooked. The chemistry between the main characters is off-the-charts, and their connection feels real, messy, and totally consuming.

What really stood out to me was the emotional vulnerability layered beneath the playful flirtation and sports rivalry. The author does a fantastic job of showing growth in both leads—not just as individuals, but in how they learn to show up for each other. Plus, the dialogue? Sharp. Funny. Authentic. It’s the kind of book where you find yourself rereading lines just because they hit that hard.

If you're into sports romance with heart, heat, and characters that stay with you long after the final whistle blows, Game On is a must-read. Ki Stephens has officially earned a spot on my auto-buy list.

After being dumped on the very day she was meant to move to the U.S. for a year abroad, cheerleader Ella is determined to make the most of her new start. A chance, electric encounter with football player Hudson quickly turns into one unforgettable night — and a no-strings, no-commitment agreement that’s meant to keep things simple.

Neither Ella nor Hudson is looking for a relationship. Both have academic ambitions that need to come first, and neither can afford distractions. But when Ella’s cheer partner is sidelined by injury and Hudson steps in to help, the line between physical and emotional starts to blur. Can they really keep things casual when the pull between them is undeniable — and the stakes are rising?

This was an enjoyable, easy read with a fresh take on the sports romance dynamic. I especially loved Hudson’s background in cheer and his focus on his studies — a refreshing twist on the usual football player trope. While I did feel it lacked a little spark or depth in places, it was still a fun, satisfying read perfect for fans of sporty, college-set romances.

A fun, flirty romance perfect for fans of Bring it On.

I loved Ella & Fox’s dynamic, their chemistry was clear from the moment they met. They felt like two peas in a pod and I felt myself willing them to give in to each other. Their black cat & golden retriever relationship was definitely one to root for!

The cast of side characters shone so brightly in this book! I absolutely ADORED Levi and I really hope there’s a future book planned with him involved! The whole cheerleading team felt like a real family and I felt as if it captured the sport dynamic beautifully.

The only reason I’ve given a 4 star rather than 5 is because of how the pacing falls off in the last 30% of the book. I appreciate the time put in to building the romance at the start of the book but it felt like it could have done with being about 50 pages longer so the time jumps at the end didn’t feel so jarring.

Overall I had a great time and would definitely recommend picking this up if you’re on the hunt for a fun sports romance!

sharp fun and full of all i could've wished for in a sports romance like this one. i was smiling, doing this big grins more than once throughout this book. and it made me feel uplifted and reached all the giggly good emotions in my heart.
we've got our female main character Ella who is a cheerleader just moved to America from England and thats all she an focus on right now. until her first night in town she meets someone who knocks that focus off kilter, Hudson.what she doesn't know is this is the teams quarterback and this man keeps just showing up, being around. i'm not complaining because aren't we just delighted to see what comes next. i definitely got so much joy about reading about these two. there connection and interactions had me feeling so much better about life lol. Hudson himself needs to keep focus of his own. hes got his football. thats it. yeh right Hudson, we've seen you who you kidding?
but of course for our two what starts as a night of fun, friendship and connection with someone nice quickly turns into something a whole lot more. so what will they both decide to do. whats more important or what becomes more important?
gorgeous read. really liked it. the characters and the time we got with them was a joy.

Ella is set to move from England to Nashville with her longtime boyfriend - they’ve planned a study abroad year together and are excited to live in America for a year. That is until he breaks up with her, just before their flight, and she’s left to navigate her study abroad year alone. On her first night in town she meets Hudson and they ‘get together’. This quickly becomes messy when they realise he’s a star quarterback and she’s the newest cheerleader, therefore they’ve broke a no fraternisation rule. They quickly agree it’ll just be a one night thing. But as the year progresses, and feelings develop - can they leave it at just one night? Or are they meant to be more?

This was a fun quick read - cute college romance that would be a perfect poolside read. The relationship here was definitely an instalove - where we have a one night stand in the first 10% and then we follow them gradually falling for each other across the rest of the book. They were cute together! I also really liked the side characters - they added so much to the story.

Overall, this was a spicy college sports romance that was fast paced and an easy read. One night stand that turns to friends to lovers.

ARC copy provided by Penguin & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Game on was not what I expected from a sports romance and I loved it!
Football meets cheer was the combination that I didn’t know I needed. Now I do really enjoy a sports romance but I loved that both Ella and Hudson had their own sports and that they came together.

Ella is feisty, fierce and determined and I liked her character right from the start. She has left her life in England behind for a year to join and learn from a new cheer squad in Nashville. Everything about her new chapter is temporary for a year… enter Hudson Fox- the football team’s star QB.

This was an easy, light-hearted spicy read.

DNF @ 23%

I tried, I really did but the amount of time jumps within the first eight chapters is insane, I was just getting confused the more I read. Literally chapter one, you had Ella at her last cheer competition then two weeks later she has broken up with her boyfriend then all of a sudden being in America and then in chapter two/three she has a one night stand. We know absolutely nothing about the two main characters before this one night stand even happens or how Ella is feeling about the whole breakup and moving to a whole different place for the year. Yes girl, give us absolutely nothing here. But the big time jumps don't even stop there because in chapter eight, we learn that three months has passed, Ella has been at cheer camp for all of two seconds because in the next breath, she's already back at the university. Maybe it's just me, but I could not keep going because I would be struggling.

The characters are dull and offer nothing, the chemistry is not there either. If it wasn't for the unnecessary time jumps and if we got to know the characters better before the one night stand and insta-lust then perhaps I would've continued reading. This book might be for some people but sadly not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.